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Taiwanese ODM/OEM DigitalMicron has used Linux as the embedded software platform inside a wireless 802.11b security camera targeting commercial security and surveillance applications. The IP500 features JPEG/MPEG-4 compression, a microphone, remote pan-and-tilt, TV-out, and controls for up to four lights, alarm… systems, and other security devices.

The IP500 design offers wide-angle pan-and-tilt

According to DigitalMicron, the IP500 design can capture QVGA (320 x 240) MPEG-4 video at 26fps. It also supports VGA (640 x 480) MPEG-4 video at 8fps, and QVGA JPEG/Motion-JPEG at 10fps. The camera comes with a CMOS sensor and an f-4.0 lens with glass elements, and is optionally available with a CCD upgrade as well as a choice of C/CS mount lenses. It supports automatic exposure, white balance, and gain controls.

The IP500 also features a built-in omni-directional microphone, and can capture audio at bitrates up to 32kbps.

What's under the hood?

The IP500 is powered by an unspecified processor from Sunplus, a Taiwanese chip-maker specializing in industrial microcontrollers, LCD display controllers, and other ICs. The processor is based on a MIPS 3000 (4K) core, DigitalMicron says.

The IP500 is equipped with 4MB of Flash and 8MB of RAM memory. I/O ports include TV-out and 10/100 Ethernet. The device also has a wireless 802.11b interface, and a hidden, integrated antenna.

The IP500 runs an unspecified version of Linux (no download link is available, as yet). It also comes with Web-based remote control software supporting a variety of Windows operating systems, which can be used to configure the camera, pan and tilt it, or set up event-triggered, scheduled, or manual recording, the companys ays. The device can transfer videos via ftp or email.

DigitalMicron also offers a “VI500” version (pictured at right), featuring an infrared (night-vision) camera.

DigitalMicron is based in Taipei, with offices in San Francisco, Florida, and Shanghai. It specializes in designing commercial surveillance and homeland security products for manufacture in China. It says Chinese production best suits high-volume, labor-intensive products, and products in which western-branded components can be replaced with less costly counterparts sourced in Asia.